U.S. Invades Panama: December 20, 1989

[December 20, 2018] A recurring theme in successful military strategies has always been that war should be in that nation’s interests, quick and decisive, and justified on moral grounds. Now in the history books that the U.S. invades Panama in 1989, it should have been a predictable result of U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s strategically poor decision to hand the canal back to a country without the requisite political capability to properly manage such an asset.

But was the U.S. invasion in the national interests, quick and decisive, and justified? There are many who will argue that the answer is “no.” Of course, the answer is largely beyond the scope of a short article like this one. Suffice it to note that no one can deny that from a U.S. perspective, the war was conducted professionally; using overwhelming force, a highly motivated and trained military, and at its core, a principle to limit civilian casualties.

The invasion itself was codenamed Operation Just Cause and occurred between December 20, 1989 and late January 1990. The de facto Panamanian leader, general, and dictator Manuel Noriega was deposed and president-elect Guillermo Endara swore into office. The Panamanian Defense Force was also dissolved.

It is interesting that leading up to the war, Manuel Noriega worked closely with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency to help funnel illegal weapons, military equipment, and cash to U.S.-backed counter-insurgency forces throughout Latin America. The U.S. also considered Noriega an ally in its War on Drugs, despite him amassing a personal fortune through drug trafficking operations.1

The official justification of the invasion was given by U.S. President George H. W. Bush a few hours after the start of the operation (see footnote 2 below for the list). The importance of the Panama Canal to world economies has been immense and cannot be underrated. Of all the major world events, construction of the canal helped commerce thrive throughout the 20th century. But it also created a breeding-ground for corruption, graft, murder, and international intrigue.

The history of the country of Panama is fraught with problems created largely by the U.S. and corrupt Central American political leaders. While the efforts of the U.S. were largely beneficial, Americas grossly underestimated the divisiveness created by the operation of the canal. The U.S. invasion of Panama 29 years ago on this date is a testimony to the observation that even doing the right thing can have adverse, unintended consequences.

18 thoughts on “U.S. Invades Panama: December 20, 1989”

Bush’s four reasons for the invasion provided sufficient justification to establish bipartisan Congressional approval and support for the invasion. However, the secrecy before initiation, the speed and success of the invasion itself, and U.S. public support for it (80% public approval) did not allow Democrats to object to Bush’s decision to use military force.

The European Parliament and the Organization of American States made a formal protest against the invasion and condemned it as a blatant violation of international law. In 1992, Noriega was charged on eight counts of money laundering, racketeering, and drug trafficking. He was found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in a federal prison, although later it was reduced to 30 years.

A little background on Noriega. In 1986, Ronald Reagan opened negotiations urging Noriega to step down as he had been exposed publicly by the New York Times for his involvement with the illicit drug trade. Noriega was pressured and indicted on several drug-related charges in US courts. This is at a time when the professionalism of the NYT and other newspapers still had some professionalism in them and why those in the US had an inkling of what was going on.

The war, while relatively short, strained diplomatic relations between the US and several Latin American nations with Peru recalling its ambassador from the US in protest. Noriega’s case became the very first in the Jury’s history where a foreign leader was convicted of criminal charges.

Smart, to the point article on a timely subject. The invasion was an effort that eliminated one of the most corrupt figures in the history of Central America. The fact that it took the US so long is what should be shameful if anything at all.

I was only 10 years old at the time but remember it clearly. My parents were glued to the television and we discussed it at school. I always wondered what happened in the end to the country of Panama. I’ve read that the level of courruption is still high and their troubles great but there have been improvements in their democratic system but only with the help of the United States.